A Dual Identity
by Allegrezza
Summary: Princesses aren't supposed to learn how to fight. Then again, they aren't supposed to hide their identity to join the Hylian army either. But Sheik is tired of being told to be more like her sister Zelda, and she was never very good with rules.
1. Prologue

**A/N:  
**Hola peoples! Here is the first installment of the story that I hope to eventually finish and post up here. If it seems like people would enjoy reading this, I will be posting chapter by chapter (with hopefully regular updates).

Some info before you begin reading:  
-This takes place in kind of an alternate universe Hyrule... Either that, or some time long after OoT and way before TP.  
-Our Hero will still exist, but he will not play the typical role. Guess you'll have to wait and find out!  
-This will include characters from all different storylines, which is why it's a bit of an AU. (For example, having someone named Shad and someone named Malon in the same universe doesn't coincide with the games.) However, very few of these characters are set in stone, so if you review with a character request, he/she just might show up! What's the pairing? Who knows!  
-This will have a certain Disney twist... Kudos to those of you than can guess which one just from this Prologue!  
-Rating could technically be K, but there's a war planned, so it'll probably stay T.  
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. THE END.

Happy Reading!

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**Prologue**

The kingdom of Hyrule was a peaceful, prosperous land. Its citizens thrived under firm, kind rulers, and its farms had so much surplus that Hyrule made great profit from exporting to their allied countries. Markets flourished, towns grew. The many people of Hyrule worked together to keep their country whole.

The royal family's dynasty had for ruled many, many decades. Traditionally, in every generation, the crown princess would be christened Zelda at birth, to carry on the family name of the first queen who united Hyrule. The peace had not been disturbed for many years.

The tales of Hyrule's beginnings were passed on in legend. The three goddesses created it, and then imbued their power in a mystic relic- the triforce. They left this relic in a secret place to guard their newly created land. Then they retreated to the heavens to let their people govern themselves. Over the centuries, Hyrule's peace was threatened by a malicious evil that sometimes arose to control this triforce and take over Hyrule. At these times, the triforce would break and give itself to its guardians, because an evil heart could not rule all three pieces: power, wisdom, and courage. The princess of destiny and the chosen hero would band together with their appointed triforce pieces to vanquish the evil each time.

However, these stories had faded from history to legend as signs of the mysterious triforce faded, and no evil power surfaced for many generations. People accepted that their land was finally at peace. The last war that had occurred was over fifty years ago, when the desert people to the southwest rebelled against the Hylian King. They gained their independence and held strained treaties of peace. As long as the Gerudo people kept to their kind, the Hylians would leave them alone. Meanwhile, other treaties had strengthened, such as those with the Zora people of the water, and the Gorons of the mountain. The Kokiri children had faded to legend long ago, but Termina to the east and Koholint, an island country beyond the ocean, had made sound alliances with Hyrule. Fayn to the south had not officially allied with anyone after their recent civil war, but their traders were on good terms with Hyrule's merchants and markets.

When the current king, Nohausen Harkinian, was born, Hyrule was in a golden age of prosperity. He grew up with two caring parents to guide him, and when he became king, he passed a law that allowed two of the peasant rank into the council of seven advisors. For this reason and many others, his people loved him. When he took a woman of the Sheikah tribe, a group of people whose numbers were getting smaller every generation, to be his wife, they cheered his decision and grew too to love the wise, kind woman. When it was announced that the king's wife was with child, people paraded in the streets.

The castle was bustling and busy as the queen's time for birth drew near. Her husband joked that his son must be a big boy, for the queen's abdomen was hugely swollen compared to her petite frame. The night she went into labor there was a fierce rainstorm. Newborn cries were drowned out in peals of thunder.

King Harkinian had guessed wrong. For the first time in Hylian history, the queen gave birth to twins. Girl twins. They were born nearly at the same time, one but a few minutes before the other. The eldest daughter opened her eyes first. They were a magnificent, sky blue color, a color that never changed even when she grew older. The second daughter's birth caused a bit of a stir; when one of the Sheikah tribe marries a Hylian, the Sheikah traits are very rarely passed down to the children. Despite that, the second royal time had eyes of a fierce red, marking her immediately as a Sheikah.

The eldest was deemed the crown princess and named Zelda, as tradition had it. The king then wanted to name his second daughter Kara, after his mother. His wife agreed, but made a request. The baby girl was officially christened Sheikara, in honor of her Sheikah background.

The kingdom rejoiced in the birth of the princesses the next day, celebrating the symbol of new life. When it was discovered that the king's wife could bear no more children, the kingdom grieved for a time, but many people adored the little princesses as they had their royal father before. They would be raised as every noble's daughter would, with the finest education in every thing a lady would need to know, and Hyrule proceeded to prosper in its time of wealth and happiness. No one would have guessed that storm clouds were approaching Hyrule...

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**Five years later**

King Harkinian smiled softly when he saw his wife sitting on a bench in the castle courtyard. Her delicate hands were folded neatly in her lap, and her posture was perfect even though she was relaxing. He went and set down next to her, and she smiled up at him.

"How did it go?" he murmured under the shrieks of five-year-old laughter. The two watched a couple of children playing in the grass.

"Impa just finished running the tests," she replied softly. It was a tradition to test the children of Sheikah for their capacity for Sheikah abilities on their fifth birthday. These could range anywhere from simple stealth, to powerful magical abilities. If signs of anything were found, training would begin immediately. "Surprisingly, she senses some kind of magical capacity from Zelda, but she has shown nothing to suggest she has any abilities. Impa explained that it might simply be because she is the daughter of a Sheikah."

"And of Kara?" he asked softly. He rarely called Sheikara by her full name, using it only when she was in trouble. Many others in the palace used her nickname as well. Only Impa and Jasmine, the queen, regularly used the girl's full name. Jasmine shook her head slightly.

"It's... It's truly amazing," she murmured after a moment. "Impa says Sheikara has much potential, more than I ever had." The king, who knew much of Sheikah customs, raised his eyebrows.

"How is that possible?" he asked. Jasmine shrugged.

"We are uncertain. This particular case has never happened before." At that moment, a pair of golden-headed children barreled into them, speaking childish nonsense. The king chuckled.

"Now now, is this how you greet the king and queen of Hyrule?" Impa chided from behind them. Impa was their strict nursemaid, a Sheikah who had served Jasmine and now helped look after the children. She gave the royal twins a stern look.

The first little girl turned back to her parents and curtsied politely, smiling brightly when she got it right. The second sighed and scowled, half-curtsying until Impa prodded her into a proper bow. Then she stood up and stuck her tongue out at the nursemaid.

"Sheikara!" scolded her mother. Impa merely gave the girl a disapproving look.

"Sorry," the girl mumbled, head hanging for a moment. Then she looked back up, eyes bright. "Daddy! Guess what! I'm gonna train and Zelda isn't!" Her sister pouted.

"How come Kara gets to train and I don't?" she complained. "I can be a She- a Shik- a whatever too!" The king grinned and swept his daughters up onto his lap.

"Don't worry. You are both going to be taking some lessons now," he told his daughters. Kara squirmed, a habit she had developed whenever she wanted to say something.

"Yes, but Impa says we have to learn how to be a lady," the young Sheikah said, wrinkling her nose. Zelda, on the other hand, beamed excitedly.

"I can't wait!" she cried, climbing out of her father's lap. "We can learn how to talk nicely like mommy does, and how to dance, and how to wear dresses..." She continued her list, waltzing with her imaginary dance partner. Kara pouted in her father's lap.

"I take you aren't as excited as your sister," he murmured to the little girl.

"It sounds boring to me. And Impa says that I won't be able to cut my hair off anymore when it gets annoying when I'm a lady. Is that true?" He stifled a laugh. His little Sheikah had wildly curly, golden hair. It had been getting in her face one day while she was playing, so she'd found a pair of scissors and cut it off. It was growing back quickly, but those in the palace were careful to keep her away from everything sharp.

"Yes," he said with a dramatic sigh. "You probably won't be allowed to cut your hair so short. But who knows. Maybe when you get older you can set the fashion and make short hair popular." She brightened up at that and bounded off her father's lap.

"Yes," she crowed. "And then I'll pass a law that girls can be knights!" she said happily.

"Oh?" he father asked. She nodded solemnly.

"And all the princes have to wait to be rescued." This time her father laughed. His daughter frowned. "What's so funny?" he heard her ask Impa. The king, still smiling, shook his head faintly.

"That's my Kara," he said to his wife, who smiled thinly in return.

"Indeed," she muttered.

"Come now," Impa was saying. "Your parents have a council meeting, and you have lessons to attend to. Let's say goodbye." Impa ushered the two girls forward. For a moment, they stood side-by-side, two sides of the same coin. One couldn't help but make comparisons between the two. Already, Zelda's hair was longer and straighter, hanging neatly down past her shoulders. She was dressed in her favorite pink play dress and her blue eyes shined innocently out from her sweet expression. Sheikara's hair tumbled in a curly mess, her hair a shade darker than her sister's. Instead of a dress, she was wearing breeches, clothes Impa allowed her to wear when she was playing, and her red eyes glinted mischievously. Zelda curtsied neatly again under Impa's approving gaze, but Sheikara waved jauntily and then darted around her nursemaid, shrieking in laughter as Impa hurried after her, calling for her to behave more like a princess.

The king smiled as he watched them go. "It will be interesting to see who they turn into," he said, rising.

"Yes," Jasmine mused, watching her fair-haired daughters disappear from view. "It will be very interesting indeed."

**End of Prologue**

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**Like it? Hate it? Find a grammar mistake? Want to read more? Have a question or a character suggestion? R&R!  
~MachStorm**


	2. Ch 1 A 17th Birthday

**A/N:**

I switched the POV! And I like it better this way. I'm still not too fond of the beginning of this piece, but I've written some more so I hope it gets better.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, as usual.

Please review, and cross your fingers for swifter updates.

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Rapping. "Princess? Princess, are you awake?" I groaned. For once in their lives, couldn't the servants be late? The rapping came again, sharper and more agitated. I drew the covers over my head. Maybe if I went back to sleep they would go away, I mused sleepily. "Princess Kara, you have to be ready in half an hour!" I grumbled under my breath, resisting the urge to cover my ears. My bed was too warm, my limbs too heavy for this. "Princess Sheikara!" Impa's voice managed to be more irritating than the three maidservants' combined. The door swung open, and I knew who I would see if I bothered to open my eyes.

"By the goddesses, must you sleep in on today of all days?" my old nursemaid said in irritation. "Your sister was ready fifteen minutes ago!"

"Go away," I grumbled. I didn't want to hear about my sister, now of all times. There was silence for a moment and I fooled myself into thinking someone had listened to me for once. Then Impa pulled the covers off my headand I wrinkled my nose; someone had opened the curtains.

"I hope for your sake that you weren't sneaking around the castle last night," Impa said sternly. I squinted one-eyed at her.

"Why on Hyrule would I do that?" I asked, though I suspected my innocent tone was ruined by my irritable expression. Impa pursed her lips. "That would be deliberately disobeying my father's rule. I was sneaking around _outside_ the castle last night," I muttered, and pulled the blankets back over my head. Unfortunately, though Impa nursemaid may have gotten older, she hasn't lost an ounce of her strength. A moment later, she was dragging me forcefully from bed.

"Then you will pay the price by being tired all day. Come." I opened my eyes fully now, glaring, and shook myself out of Impa's hold.

"Fine. Whatever," I grumbled. Timidly, the maidservants came up to me, handing me the clothes they were carrying. They knew from experience that it was better to let me dress myself on mornings like this. I snatched them up and went behind the dressing screen. "I don't see why this has to be such a big celebration anyway," I muttered to myself, fussing with the fabric. Still, I was careful not to rip it. Impa puts up with a lot of things, but the last time I ruined a dress I had to help repair it. I'm so bad at sewing that it was a week before it was finished and I was allowed to return to my training. "And who picked this color anyway? Why do I have to wear blue?"

"Your dress matches Zelda's," offered one of the maids, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, sure. Let's find more ways to compare me to my perfect sister," I muttered in reply.

"You're lucky she decided not to wear pink," Impa said matter-of-factly.

"Maybe," I assented after a moment. "But couldn't it have been darker blue? Why must everything make my eyes stand out so much?"

"I'm sure it's not at bad as you seem to think," Impa said calmly. She was used to dealing with me, and nothing phased her. I stepped out from behind the screen and gave her a flat stare. I'd seen in the mirror how the crimson of my eyes clashed with the light blue folds of metiral draped on me. I watched Impa hesitate and then incline her head slightly. "Perhaps a little," the stern Sheikah admitted. I sighed and let one of the maids went to fix the ruffles on my dress so that they hung properly.

I sat down in a chair as the maids then started to fuss over jewelry. One of them tried to remove the silver hoops from my ears to replace them with diamonds, but, like always, I waved her off. I allowed a silver necklace they picked, disinterestedly complaining to Impa.

"What's so important about this day anyway? I mean, I thought it was eighteen or twenty that was supposed to be so important." We both knew I already was aware of the answer, but Impa replied anyway

"At seventeen, the Hylian princess is old enough to officially be allowed in court, and be courted for marriage." I grinned, visibly startling the maidservant who was washing my face.

"Well then thank goodness Zelda's the crown princess. They'll all be after her before they're after me," I said.

"And no doubt you'll send them crying home to their mothers," Impa said dryly. I fake-pouted for a moment.

"I'm not that mean," I protested. Then I considered all the young men I'd sent away frightened or unnerved by my glare. "Ok. Yes, I am. No, no. No makeup," I told the maid who was advancing with the threatening box of supplies; she sighed but retreated. "Ouch!" I cried suddenly. "Oh let me do it!" I said, exasperated. I took the comb from the girl who was trying to brush my hair, smoothing my curls as best as I could, and then braided it back with expert fingers. It was the only hairstyle I had found that tamed my curls back without too much effort One of the maids left the room and came back with a silver circlet. "Do I have to?" asked, frowning at the crown.

"Yes," Impa said, and that was that.

Fifteen minutes later, I stumbled my way to join my sister in the Great Hall. Zelda looked up when she saw- or heard, probably, because I tripped and swore at the pointless slippers I was wearing- me approaching. "Hello Sheik!" she said with a cheerful smile, tactfully ignoring my unlady-like expletives. She knew it would earn her nothing but a glare this morning. Sheik was her nickname for me. She was the only one I ever allowed to use it; nearly everyone else called me Kara. I gave my sister a disparaging look, but Zelda giggled at my scowl. "Oh, don't tell me you're still mad about this parade?"

"I don't care about the parade," I grumbled. "I care about having to wear this dress. I mean, come on. The ball tonight is bad enough, but two fancy dresses in one day? That's overkill. The parade is just an added bother." Zel just shook her head. "And how old are we anyway?" I continued. "Why do we still have to match like we're toddlers?"

"It was father's idea. Besides, we're not matching exactly." I looked at my sister, and had to admit she was right. Zelda's dress was a different style than my own, though the same color, and she wore far more jewelry. Her hair was long, straight, and hung neatly, and the silver circlet on her head gave her a much more regal look than mine ever did.

"True," I said flatly. "You look much better." Zelda's brow furrowed.

"That is _not_ true." I waved a hand in dismissal.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "You're far more suited for dresses than I am anyway. Oh, here comes the procession. Joy." We stepped out of the Hall and into the front courtyard. Mother and Father approached in their open carriage that they would be riding through the streets, and a couple of stable boys led two horses up to the door. One thing Zelda and I had in common was a love of riding. Today, we would be riding sidesaddle behind our parents through the streets of was to be much celebrating; today was an important day after all. I mentally scoffed, though I was careful to keep a blank face in front of my parents.

The king stepped down from the carriage while the queen merely inclined her head out the window. Father's hair was graying and he walked with a slight limp, but he held himself as proudly as ever. "My daughters!" he exclaimed with a smile. We both bowed politely, one of the few court mannerisms I had actually mastered.. "You look lovely."

"Thank you," Zelda said with a gracious smile. I merely inclined my head and murmured a greeting. I stood by absently as my father and sister made small talk about some royal affair I had little interest in, until my mother lifted a hand and spoke, interrupting them. Queen Jasmine had lost little of her grace through the years, and she could still command an audience with the slightest effort.

"Shall we get going?" she asked quietly.

"Our people await," the king agreed with a nod. He climbed back into his carriage as Zelda and I were handed the reins of their respective horses. I shooed away the stable boy, knowing I could mount by myself. I rubbed my horse's nose for a moment. My father had bought Theo for my fourteenth birthday, one of the few presents he'd ever given me that I actually wanted to use. He was a big, proud, dark-colored stallion that I had raised and trained with the help of the castle's horse trainer. Peachblossom, Zelda's crème colored mare, was generally better behaved, but I felt my horse and I were kindred spirits. We both knew to put on a show when we had to, and would otherwise rather be free.

"You'd prefer the fields too, wouldn't you?" I murmured to my horse. He snorted and I mounted. I would have much rather preferred to ride as the men did, but today I was to be out in public and settled sidesaddle with a sigh; besides, if my mother ever knew that was how I took him out to Hyrule fields sometimes, wearing men's clothes and riding him 'improperly', she'd probably ban me from ever riding again. I guided him after the procession of guards and the carriage with a sigh. "Happy Birthday," I muttered to myself.

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**R&R please!**

**-MachStorm**


	3. Ch 2 Before the Ball

**A/N:**

Another short chapter. Hopefully that'll be alright, because I think the next chapter is going to be really long- and guess who will show up next? I'll give you a hint... actually, I won't, because I want you to read it.

As always, I own nothing with Nintendo's name on it. Still, I would always appreciate a review, since I haven't gotten any for this yet.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Here you are." I felt little need to answer that, since it wasn't a question. I opened one eye and looked up from the ground. Impa again, not that I had been expecting anyone else "I hope you're meditating and not napping," the older Sheikah said. I closed my eye again.

"I _was_ meditating," I clarified. My legs were crossed beneath me and my hands rested lightly on my knees, wrapped in tightly white bandages. I was wearing the simple, dark blue practice suit that had been made for me to use when I trained in the ways of the Sheikah. Even though I was only meditating, I always felt better when I was wearing it. I felt more in control of my life when I was wearing Sheikah garb.

I had decided long ago that I would have run away from the castle if I hadn't been able to study the Sheikah ways. As it was, my mother was adamant that I learn Sheikah traditions, something I was eternally grateful for. Though I still had to survive the boring etiquette and history lessons that my sister took with me, training was my outlet.

Meditating was a common Sheikah past time. Much of Sheikah ability depended on one's mind. Mediation was a way to help learn to control one's thoughts. When I'd first tried it when I was ten, I had been sure I would be utterly bored. In the end, I'd found it the exact opposite. It was soothing to have the ability to focus my thoughts, and it gave me somewhere to go when I was stuck inside the castle.

"You missed your history lesson," Impa informed me.

"Oops." My voice was flat; I didn't even bother trying to sound remorseful. Impa wouldn't buy it anyway. She continued with a sigh.

"It was canceled today though, luckily for you. Why are you out here?" I opened my eyes reluctantly. It seemed as though my time for peace and solitude was up.

"Mother said I couldn't train because I couldn't be tired for tonight's 'birthday ball'. I figured meditating was all right. Besides, the parade was enough people time for me. I needed a break," I mumbled. Impa knew I hated being in the public eye.

I stood up and stretched, looking around the courtyard. My father had designated a small, open courtyard at the back of the castle to my training. No one but Impa and myself were allowed to enter it. We used it to practice Sheikah combat and other skills. When I wanted to be alone, I also retreated to this courtyard.

"Your training is coming along well," Impa said after a moment. I looked at her. Impa was not loose in giving compliments, so I wondered what had brought this on. I glanced away after a moment.

"My father wants me to stop spending so much time out here," I admitted quietly, sitting down on the bench. My nursemaid/teacher sat down next to me, listening though I'm sure she already knew what I was telling her. "That's why I came out here. To think. He believes I should start spend more time learning how to be a better princess." I wrinkled her nose. "I don't see why I have to. I'm not going to rule anything. Zelda's got that covered," I muttered. I could see Impa thinking about her answer for a moment. She never said anything without thought behind it, a skill she she often claimed she was still trying to pass on to me.

"Your father wants you to be a good example of this royal family too," she said eventually. "You are going to be more involved in court life now. Many nobles will see the royal family reflected in your behavior."

"Yes," I sighed. "Most of them don't know I'm being taught how to fight," I said with a grin.

"Yes. I had to convince your father of that. When he found out that your mother learned too, he consented." I stared. My mother had undergone the same training? I hadn't known that. Then again, it wasn't like I went out of my way to spend any time with the woman. We had almost nothing in common, despite sharing a heritage.

"She did?" Impa nodded.

"Yes. She didn't pursue the martial arts, however."

"Does she have... magical ability?" I asked after a moment. Impa had told me many times that the magic I had was very rare.

"You never asked her yourself?" Impa asked me in return, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged and glanced away.

"Mother and I... well, even though she's a Sheikah, she's more like Zel than she is like me." Impa nodded slowly.

"Your mother... mastered a few mind tricks. Mostly, she became a brilliant judge of character and a little clairvoyant. You..." Impa paused. "You are indeed different than your mother." I had learned a lot since my training started twelve years ago. I was getting good at hand-to-hand combat, knew my way around the throwing needles and small daggers of traditional Sheikah weaponry, and I had learned all kinds of battle strategy. I was lucky that Impa was a tradionalist, for my father had not been pleased when he'd learned that I would be learning to fight. Luckily, my mother and my nursemaid convinced him that the skills were customary and that I would never need to use them. Still, I had learned long ago not to show anyone what I could do. Most of the castle's inhabitants had no idea who the blue-garbed figure in this courtyard was. Their ignorance of Sheikah custom served me well for once; since the Sheikah were a fading tribe, many people are still struck by old prejudices of fear and mistrust.

I had not only learned combat over the years, however. Impa had taught me some simple Sheikah mind tricks and even how how to warp short distances, skills that required magical ability. I felt like a different person employing them in Sheikah garb. In my princess role, however, I kept most of her abilities to myself. It was better if the noble class heard little about how different I was from them. They wouldn't understand and they would think the king's daughter was strange.

"Father would rather I focus on holding my teacup than on how to fight," I murmured.

"Yes, but he is proud of you anyway." I smiled slightly at Impa's words, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"I suppose."

"Sheikara... Your father also wants you to be prepared," Impa said after a moment. "You are, after all, a princess. Having you married to a wealthy ally would only strengthen treaties." I could tell Impa was expecting some sort of reaction, but I only sighed, brushing some dirt of my suit.

"I know." I sensed Impa's surprise and smiled grimly. "I may be stubborn, but I'm not stupid. Women have very little power unless they can gain it by marriage," I said bitterly. "I will serve Hyrule as I can. It's just..." My shoulders dropped wearily. "Well, Zelda doesn't have to leave Hyrule, does she?" I asked dryly.

"You won't necessarily have to leave Hyrule," Impa ventured. I rolled my eyes, not caring that she might reprimand me for it.

"Oh, come on. We both know I'm of age, and with things becoming so strained with Fayn... A political marriage is probably our best option at this point, with any country."

We both knew I was right. Over the last couple of years, rumors had started. Some citizens of Hyrule believed Fayn had allied with the desert people of the south, people that no one had heard from for years. Bandit raids came and went, and though there was no proof that they were organized by Fayn or the missing Gerudo, there was a strong suspicion to blame both of the groups.

I hadn't been born until just after the civil war happened in the country to the south, Fayn. I knew the basic history, knew that Hyrule had sided with the group that eventually lost and was forced to pull back when the country had descended into chaos. A few years ago, however, the leadership of the broken country Fayn had fallen into Vaati's hands, things had been strained. Vaati had been the leader of the factions that opposed the groups with Hyrule's support. The country was repairing itself now, and rumors of a great army that was being built in Fayn percolated through the country's gossip. My father had been attempting to make contact to draw up treaties of peace, but his messages went unanswered.

Impa rose with a sigh. "I had the maids draw you a bath. Your gown for this evening has been sent to your room." I nodded absently.

"Time to go already," I mused, standing. "Thank you," I said quietly. I bowed slightly in farewell and headed down the hall, not noticing Impa watch with me with a thoughtful expression as I left.

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**R&R!**

**-MachStorm **


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